This invention relates generally to highway traffic channeling devices and more particularly to a new and novel highway traffic channeling device made out of a paperboard shell utilized in combination with warning means and holding means for holding the shell structure on the highway.
Traffic channeling devices are utilized by highway departments in the area of construction in progress and serve the function of channeling the normal traffic which must pass by the construction site generally to one lane or to a different area so that the construction can continue without interrupting traffic flow. The traffic channeling devices normally take the form of steel barrels or plastic barrels and may also take the form of horses or barricades having signs attached thereto indicating that the traffic is to move to another lane. It is also known to use at times stacked automobile tires which are held in position by some sort of center post with all of the prior art barrels being designed primarily to divert or channel the flow of traffic from one lane to another lane.
Some of the problems with the beforementioned prior art type of devices relate to storage problems of the devices, for example, in the case of steel or plastic barrels both before and after construction and also on the job site prior to being placed in position in the traffic flow. Other problems often encountered with the prior art traffic channeling devices such as plastic or steel barrels is that these devices are many times impacted by a passing automobile which can result in safety hazards to the construction workers nearby since the plastic or steel barrel can act like a projectile when hit by the bumper or fender of a passing automobile. Other problems arise in the extreme high cost of the prior art devices when they must be replaced whenever they are damaged as a result of a high speed impact by either a passing car or truck.
Prior art highway safety devices utilizing tires as impact absorbing devices are known in the art as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,853, issued Nov. 19, 1974 to Merton B. Way et al and in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,384, issued Apr. 20, 1976 to Robert E. Hildreth, Jr. Devices as typified by these two patents are generally permanently anchored to the ground and are primarily used as impact absorbing devices to be placed, for example, in an area that may be hazardous to a driver that strays from the traffic lane or misses a turn.
It is also known to be able to construct multi-sided shipping receptacles that may be utilized with end turned flaps for packaging circular objects such as automobile tires or the like. Prior art of this type is typified by the U.S. Pat. No. 1,196,842, issued Sept. 5, 1916 to W. R. Bussenbark. Such shipping receptacles, while known in the art of packaging, have not to the applicant's knowledge ever been utilized in combination with the other novel features of the applicant's invention to provide a new and novel channeling device.